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A fabulous new Fabia [Evening Gazette (UK)](Evening Gazette (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) CLEVER little touches can make a car and over the years Skoda has made use of the unusual one of its strengths. So with features such as an ice scraper clipped inside the fuel filler flap, a pocket for a high-viz vest in the driver's door and a handy cradle for a smartphone in the centre console, the Czech car maker is making its new Fabia hatchback very user friendly. It's a small car that is getting bigger and the third generation model will be arriving in January restyled and revamped in every way. Priced from Pounds 10,600 - that's around Pounds 600 more than the outgoing version - the new Fabia remains true to Skoda's philosophy of being affordable, roomy and practical. Although classified as a supermini it is bigger than that and has class leading boot space ranging from 330 to 1,150 litres - significantly more than the likes of a Ford Fiesta which offers only 290 litres of space. From the outside the new Fabia has been smartened up with sharper design and with two tone body colours available it can come with contrasting paint finishes on the roof making it look quite upmarket. Inside, there is good space all round - it will seat four adults easily, five at a pinch - while the quality of trim, upholstery and the sturdiness of the seats has been improved considerably. The dash has also been given a new look and can be decked out with different facings and on all but the entry level model comes with a touchscreen allowing MirrorLink connectivity for a smartphone. That gives the car sat nav and other phone-based features such as additional audio players and apps, some of which can supplement the instrumentation adding the likes of eco driving analysis and even a Gforce meter to back up the information available from the onboard trip computer. The touchscreen works by swiping through the graphics and the technology is a huge step forward for Skoda. All Fabias come with Bluetooth, DAB radios, tyre pressure monitors and a fully adjustable steering wheel although air conditioning is not included until the mid-range SE grade which costs from Pounds 12,760 for a 1.0-litre petrol version. High specification SE L trim Fabias are compelling pieces of kit and for Pounds 13,610 come with climate control, keyless entry and start up, LED running lights and cruise control. Pound for pound it is outgunning alternatives such as the Fiesta, Polo and even Vauxhall's new Corsa. The new Fabia is based on the VW MQB platform first used on the Golf and the Audi A3 and it has improved the handling by some margin. It feels firm and planted on the road, the steering is nicely responsive and the sound deadening is noticeably better. There's also a range of new engines from Skoda's parents at the VW Group including 1.0-litre three cylinder and 1.2-litre turbo petrols and 1.4-litre diesels with a variety of power outputs. All have stop/start and comply with the latest emission regulations and compared to the current Fabias the new model is on average 17 per cent more economical. Putting that into perspective the 1.4 diesel Fabia is rated at 83.1mpg with tax free emissions of 88g/km - almost 16 miles to the gallon better than Skoda's previous 1.6-litre diesel offering. The 1.4-litre diesel costs from Pounds 14,090 in base trim and tops out at a Pounds 16,240 but of the cars we sampled the pick was the 1.2-litre turbo petrol developing 110ps. In a car weighing a fraction more than one tonne it delivers spritely performance of 9.4 seconds 0 to 60 and a top end of 122mph making it the quickest of the new Fabias. With emissions of 110g/km Skoda is claiming and official fuel return of 58.8mpg and that is not far off the mark. We managed 44mpg overall, slightly better than the 1.0-litre Fabia which came in at 42mpg over a similar route. The 1.2 engine comes with a sixspeed manual gearbox and can also be had with a seven-speed semiautomatic DSG box priced from Pounds 13,740. The 1.0-litre models are five speed and while lively enough at low to mid-range revs they lack the all round and rather polished performance of the 1.2. In every way the new Fabia is a very complete car. It's roomy and accomplished in every aspect but in top specification trim it is exceptionally well equipped and for less than Pounds 15,000 offers almost unbeatable value. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |